My dad got me hooked on
jazz, and after listening to
enough jazz, I couldn't get
the idea of playing bass out
of my head. I played alto
saxophone for four years,
have been playing percussion
for three, but there will still something missing. I always loved watching and listening to the bass players in the bands I heard regularly, and after years of saying nothing, I asked my dad to get my a cheap bass guitar for my birthday. It sat almost untouched for almost a year until my high school jazz director came to me saying he needed a bass player. I told him I'd do it, and haven't looked back since. A few of my influences include Jaco Pastorius, Rocco Prestias, Victor Wooten, John Patitucci, Marcus Miller, Abe Laboriel, Charlie Haden, and Stanley Clarke.
What he is doing with his music now:
I play all styles of jazz with my high school jazz band, play gigs with my jazz trio, and do other gigs throughout the Socal/Los Angeles area. When I'm not doing that, you will probably find me in the woodshed working on my chops and developing my musical ideas.
What Ben Vail Plans on doing musically in the future:
In just over a year I will be attending college and will be in their music program playing mostly jazz. I also plan on picking up the double bass, because to date I have been only electric. As time goes on, I plan on adding more regular gigs to my schedule, and becoming a regular name in the jazz world.
